


A Surprising Companion

by Han502653



Category: Girl Genius
Genre: Gen, Implied referenced attempted suicide, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-23
Updated: 2015-01-23
Packaged: 2018-03-08 19:11:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3220199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Han502653/pseuds/Han502653
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wooster is surprised by who finds him, as well as how she reacts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Surprising Companion

**Author's Note:**

> This story was partly inspired by baroque_mongoose in Ao3 / otherwise knowns as (I believe, correct me if I’m wrong) vonluftschiff in the Jagerkin forums, version of Wooster, and by the second novels version of Zeetha, specifically her line about how close she was to just wandering off into the Wastelands to die before Agatha saved her. I hope I’m not treading on any toes posting this.

 

        

                “’Sup.”

                  Wooster Stared, the cold press of the pistol still firmly against his temple. Zeetha didn’t look the slightest bit surprised. She stood there, hands in her pockets, and waited.

                “Hello,” Wooster finally said, a bit stunned.

                “Hope you don’t mind,” Zeetha started, as she strode across the room and lounged herself against a couple of barrels. “But if I spend another minuet with a Jäger or a kid I think my mind might explode.” From the way she lounged out, he doubted she cared if he minded or not.

                Wooster continued to stare, arm locked in place. “Aren’t, aren’t you go…,” he sputtered to a stop.

                “What? Stop you? You’re a big boy, you can make your own decisions, but I’m not leaving either.” She leaned back, eyes drifting from one crack on the ceiling to another. “It’s a bit harder with an audience though isn’t it?”

                He frowned at this,” Why are you here, really?”

                “To give you more time to think,” Zeetha said idly, momentarily glancing at him from the corner of her eye. “To see if you really want to do this, so it’s not just a rash decision.”

                “You have no idea what I’m thinking about,” he shot back without any bite. There were footsteps coming down the hall. Wooster and Zeetha glanced at the door. Zeetha tilted her head, worried her lip, and then turned back to the ceiling.

                She let out a small sigh, and closed her eyes, “I wouldn’t be so sure,” she responded faintly. Her voice was curt as if she was blocking any and all emotions. Wooster jousted a bit at it.

                “You’ve been Suicidal?” He asked, once he turned his head from the door, and for the first time right at her.

                “Yes,” Zeetha deadpanned her voice stiff. It was silent for a moment before she let out another sigh, “twice.”

                “Recently?”

                “Depends on what you consider recent,” She said after a moment of thought. “Hello Higgs,” she added at the sound of footsteps departing. They stopped. Then returned, and the man himself entered the doorway, silent. Wooster still wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. They eyed each other.

                “Six months,” Zeetha broke the silence, refusing to open her eyes. Both men snapped their neck around to look at her. “Give or take; that was the last time, just before I met Agatha. I wasn’t in a good place at the time.” She paused.

                “I never put a gun to my head,” she continued, and Wooster suddenly realized that at some point during their conversation his gun had migrated from his temple to his lap. “Or a sword to my throat, it was more…” She trailed off.

                “I stopped caring,” she finally finished after some time, “To the point where it was find Skifander or die, and I couldn’t care which.” She shrugged and pushed herself of the barrels. “You feeling better now?”

                “…Yes,” Wooster admitted with some surprise. Nothing Zeetha had said was happy, but having someone who understood to a point at least…well it made things easier. “I think I’m alright.”

                She gave one nod, and squeezed his shoulder quickly as she walked past him. “I heard some of the kids whining about another one of your stories,” She informed him, as she paused at the door frame next to the man Wooster had just learned was her boyfriend. “Might be good to relax, or give you a headache whatever,” she shrugged slightly, avoiding Higgs eye, before slipping from the room. Higgs watched her go.

                Wooster didn’t know Higgs well, though he had committed his footsteps to memory. He didn’t know if he could trust him either. But Zeetha’s disguised concern had warmed him some, even as it obviously upset her. He wasn’t the man to comfort her; he didn’t think he was up to it anyway.

                “What are you waiting for,” he told the airman, who jumped a bit. “Go after her.” Higgs glanced between him and the way Zeetha had gone a few times, before he took off. Not quite running, but not taking a stroll either. Wooster huffed, for a spy that man had no skill with females, at all.

                Shaking his head, Wooster stood and holstered his pistol. He had always enjoyed children; perhaps he’d take Zeetha’s suggestion and visit the nursery.


End file.
